The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-22
JOHN SHERMAN TN THE ARMY
The Senator's First Love Was the Army,
but the National Senate Wanted Him.
ually in the Field-His Work in Raising
and Equipping the Sherman Brigade.

Union, aside from his services in the United
States Senate. Mr.. Sherman was elected to the
United States Senate in 1861 to succeed Salmon
p Chase, who entered President Lincolns Cabi-
net as Secretary of the Treasury. When Fort
Sumter was fred upon, and the patriotic feeling
of the North was aroused thereby, Mr.. Sherman
at once rendered his services to Governor DENIM
son in any capacity. Governor Dennison, how
ever, at once saw that Mr.. Sherman's place was
in the Senate; that he would, 10 Congress. be in
position to better serve his State and country.
Under these circumstances the Governor sent
the following telegram
COLUMBUS O.. April 10, 1861
Hon. John Sherman. Mansfield. o..
thank you for the tender of your services, but
have need of them at present. W. DENSIsoN-
1t will be noted that Mr. Sherman was among
the first to volunteer. He became enthused.
and soon after took the field and became an aid
upon the staff of Major-general Robert Patter-
son, who commanded the Union troops in the
Shenandoah valley. Mr.. Sherman, who noml-
nally became colonel. remained in the field I'M
I'll the special session of Congress, in July. when
he took his place in the Senate. After the adj
journment Of Congress he returned to Ohio and
assisted in organizing troops for the field His
natural inclinstions were of military turn. and
had he chosen to enter the army there is no
doubt but that he would have risen TO distinc-
Ibid you ever know that Senator Sherman
was a colonel of an Ohio regiment" said Capt
L. d. Myers, of this city, to your correspondent
mo, never did: tell US something about him
In that capacity"
81 happen to know all about it," said Captain
Myers, ''as l was among the first who entered
his command. You know that in 1861 General
w. Il. Sherman succeeded General Robert
Anderson as commander of the Department of
the Ohio, with headquarters at Louisville, Ky.
General Sherman at once appreciated the situa-
ton, and his calls upon the War Department for
troops were urgent and incessant You will
also remember that when he said that it would
require an army of 200 600 men to conduct mill
tary operations in that department, he ridi-
culed and denounced as crazy by persons in
high position. One newspaper correspondent
wrote quite a sensational article entitled A
Crazy General About this time lin Septem-
Der, l think Senator Sherman visited his
brother at Louisville, and was by him freely ad
vised Of the situation of affairs. Senator Sher-
man returned to Ohio determined to do all IN
his power to forward the much-needed troops.
At this time Mcclellan was the great Amer
lean favorite, and the principal efforts OF
the Wa Department were turned in the direc-
ton of the army then being organized by him.
Senator Sherman went to Washington and in
formed the authorities of the need Of more
troops in Kentucky He was told that no troops
could be spared at that time, and that General
Sherman could not be reinforced until
levies were raised. Mr.. Sherman returned to
Ohio. and at once got authority from Governor
Dennison to recruit two regiments of infantry,
one battery OF artillery, and a squadron of cav
airy for service in Ken lucky. The regiments
were subsequently mustered, the Sixty-fourth
and Sixty-ifth. The battery was known as the
Sixth Ohio Independent Battery and the
airy as McLaughlins Squadron. The camp in
which they were organized was at Mansfield.
and was called Camp Buckingham, after the
then Adjutant- general of the State Senator
Sherman was appointed colonel of the Sixty
fourth Regiment and number of recruiting Of
fcers wers commissioned as second leutenants.
The work of recruiting commenced about the
first OF October In number OF counties.
In few days several hundred men had been
enlisted, and were ready to 60 into camp
In incredibly short space of time
the necessary camp equipage was procured
direct from the War Department, through the
personal exertions and influence of Senator
Sherman, and camp wasformed. In the mean
time Mai Robert Granger (afterward maj gen.
eral) was detailed by the War Department to
assist in organizing these masses of raw recruits.
Major Granger was thorough soldier and a
fine disciplinaran. he was graduate of West
Point, and was amoLg the troops surrendered to
the confederates by General Twiggs in Texas.
At this time he was under parole, and not hav-
ing been exchanged could not enter the field
Within three weeks time the Sxty-fourth was
filled up to a thousand strong and the Sixty
fifth regiment and the battery and cavalry
squadron were also pretty we'll filled. Senator
Tor Colonel) Sherman was on duty daily attend
ing to all the duties of commanding officer. His
mind and systematic business habits were never
to better advantage. In addition to Major
Granger through Mr. Sherman's influence at
the War Department, Capt James w Forsythe,
of the Eighteenth United States Infantry, who
afterward became quite distinguished in the war
and became brigadier-general. and Capt. Charles
G. Harker. of the Fifteenth United States In.
fantry, who also became brigadier-general, and
was killed at the battle of kenesaw mountain in
1864. were relieved from their regiments, and or
dered to report to Colonel Sherman at Mansfield.
Two old sergeants In the regular service, Cullen
Bradley and James K Sweet. were discharged,
and ordered to Mansfield. Sergeat Bradley was
appointed captain of the batrsry, and Sweet was
made captain in the Sixty-fourth Regiment.
Captain Sweet was killed at Stone river With
such valuable assistants Colonel Sherman was
able to organize and put into the field some OF
the best-equipped and drilled troops that ever
left the State. They were armed with Spring
field rifles of the newest pattern, and their
clothing and outfit were of the best kind. AL
these Senator Sherman procured from the War
Department, without the Intervention of the
State authorities. Before the troops were quite
ready for the field, the time for the meeting Of
Congress, in December, arrived. Senator Sher
man had become much attached to his command
and ardently desired to go with it to the field
Military life had great attractions for him. He
wrote to President Lincoln, suggesting that he
would like to enter actively into the army, but the
President in his characteristic manner, replied
that plenty of men could be found to command
regiments, but there were few men who could
take his (Sherman's) place in the United States
Senate He was needed there worse than ht
was in the army. With much regret Senator
Sherman then abandoned his cherished ideas O.
military life Before he left Mansfield he hat
Captain Forsyth placed in command Of thu
Sixty-fourth Regiment and Captain HarKer o
the Sixty-ffth. Dec. Is the troops, 2, 300 strong
broke camp at Mansfield and moved directly b,
rail and steamer to Louisville. KY. where the.
formed part of the Army of the Ohio. Gen. D
Z. buell., in the meantime, had succeeded Gen
w. L. Sherman In the command of the depart
ment. They were known during the war as thu
Sherman Brigade" and the survivors still
keep up civil organization under that title
whose honored president is their old Col. Johl
Sherman. These two Ohio regiments with thu
Fifty first Indiana Colonel Streight and tn
Thirteenth Michigan. subsequently bri
gaded. and we're commanded by Gen. James A
Garfield They took part in every battl
fought by the armies of Generals Buell.
Rosecrans, and Thomas. They were a
first in the division of Genera
Thomas j. Wood, and fought with him at Shiloh
Perryville, Stone River. and Chickamauga A
Mission Ridge they stormed its heights unde
the gallant Phil Sheridan. They served wit
General Sherman during the Atlanta campaign
and lost their brigade commander, the gaan
Harker, at Kenesaw Mountain. At Frankli
and Nashville. as part of the Fourth corps, the
gave Hood those terrible blows which virtually
under the late General Opdyke, ended the wa
in the West They formed part of the CON
mand which sent to Texas under Generl
Sheridan Returning to Ohio they were mu
-